Why Are Allies Important To Success?

No one succeeds alone, and anyone who says they did is likely writing everyone else out of the story.

When my manager left PayPal in 2005, the VP of Product, Amy Klement, could have chosen anyone to lead the eBay-PayPal integration. She picked me when I was not the obvious choice, and she gave me, a person with only a year or two of management experience, the reins of the largest product and business at PayPal.  This is what an ally looks like: someone who sees something in you, supports you, opens doors for you, or offers you stretch opportunities. 

Later I felt stuck after the birth of my third child, when my father was in hospice. Doug Purdy, my seventh manager at Facebook in less than three years, helped me find my way forward and grow my career, despite these outside challenges. Eventually, he set me up to take his role, and then his manager's role. Without his support at such a vulnerable time of my life, I would never have succeeded.   

I am very open that the reason I am on the board of Intuit is because Sheryl Sandberg introduced me to the CEO at the time, Brad Smith, years before the board opening. Before I went into the meeting, she prepared me by telling me that maybe someday I would be able to join his board. I told my husband and joked that I was a nobody, a random Director at Facebook. Several years later, however, Sheryl reached out again and reintroduced me to Brad, this time to interview for a board seat. I was shocked. I was not the obvious choice. I was not a sitting CEO, or even a particularly prominent executive in Silicon Valley. Without Sheryl’s encouragement, I would not have had the opportunity to serve this iconic company whose products I love. 

Allies are made up of four groups: mentors, sponsors, teams, and circles.

• Mentors are those who give you advice. They give you insights, support, and encouragement. 
• Sponsors are leaders you work with who open doors for you. They put their reputations on the line to give you opportunities and stretch assignments.
• Teams are in the trenches with you. They are at your side everyday, building your products, solving problems, and having an impact.
• Circles are your peers, the people who encourage you beyond the workplace. They amplify your ideas, talk you down from the ledge, and give you emotional and moral support.

Career growth happens when you have these allies in your work and home life. Cultivating them means connecting and building relationships with the people around you. It means giving more than you are taking. I have been blessed with many allies in my life, and I likewise pay it forward to others as a mentor, sponsor, teammate, and peer.

Interested in more about this topic? I write about it in depth in chapter 6 of my book. Order here.

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